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How do Costco Gold Bar Prices Compare

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Costco added a several product lines of 24k Gold Bars to their online store and select warehouses last year, to which their members have taken quite a shine. These investment-grade gold bars are minted from 24k pure gold (.9999 fine) and are minted by a variety of private refineries.

Periodically, Costco will post gold bars for sale on their website at a fixed price relative to the current gold price.

On a recent trading day, Costco offer PAMP Suisse 1 oz Gold Bars for around $61 over that day’s gold price, which was a premium of around 2.6%. The lowest dealer price for the Lady Fortuna Gold Bar that day was around $76 over melt value, roughly 3.24%.

It’s estimated that they are selling up to 80,000 ounce per month. While the low premiums are low, many are maxing out the Executive Membership rewards while leveraging credit card offers to maximize cash back for buying gold bars.

Costco offers these various gold bars with a limited inventory like a “flash sale”. Once the available stock is sold out, the listing becomes inactive. The r/CostcoPM group on reddit tracks the latest offerings as they are available, but most Costco gold bars are sold out within an hour or two.

These same brands of gold bars are generally available in the bullion markets and can be bought from many trusted and reputable bullion dealers.

Most investors in physical gold bars will become familiar with the local coin stores in their area and will also have a handful of favorite online dealers. Not only can this be helpful in adding to your portfolio, but it is also good for down the road, when its time to sell. Local coins stores actively trade in precious metals due to their expertise in gold coins and are familiar with market conditions.

The employees at local coin stores can be extremely knowledgeable when it comes to tangible assets and will often have insights into the buy/sell spread in the local area. While online bullion dealers offer a large selection of products, including bars that are available in a variety of denominations that are less than a full ounce. Fractional gold bars are available in a range from as small as 1 gram to as large as 20 grams and are popular will investors with more modest budgets.

The smallest denomination available from Costco so far has been the 25 gram PAMP Multigram gold bar, which is comparable in price to a full 1 oz gold bar. Buyers looking for smaller denominations of fractional gold bars will have more choices shopping with online bullion dealers.

The brands that Costco has offered so far have been limited to those from PAMP Suisse and the Rand Refinery. Both are among the most reputable refineries and private mints, however, the cheapest 1 oz gold bars are often those from the secondary market.

RAND Refinery

Established in 1920, The RAND Refinery plays a central role in processing gold from the renowned South African gold mines. With over a century in operation, the RAND Refinery has established a strong reputation for reliability and quality in the global precious metals market which contributes to its trusted status among investors and collectors.

Depending on the market conditions, gold bars from the RAND Refinery can be cheaper and may be more cost-effective with a lower price per ounce compared to those from other refineries. RAND Refinery’s gold bars are a highly liquid investment that is recognized and accepted worldwide.

RAND 1 oz Gold Bar

Costco Product Page: Item #1768080

RAND 100 Gram Gold Bar

Costco Product Page: Item #179644

PAMP Suisse

PAMP Suisse is a private mint based in Ticino, Switzerland. Established in 1977, the company has grown to become a leader in the precious metals industry with an outstanding reputation for producing gold bars of the highest quality. Each newly minted gold bar is produced to the industry standard of .9999 fineness and is accompanied by an assay certificate that guarantees its purity and weight.

PAMP Lady Fortuna Series

The Lady Fortuna has received several updates and refinements throughout its 45th year history, making it the most iconic and recognizable brand in the gold market.

Combined with PAMP Suisse’s industry leading Veriscan technology that captures the unique topographical characteristics of each gold bar. A mobile app is available that allows investors to instantly authenticate PAMP Suisse Gold Bars by uploading a series of images, which are then compared to those stored in Veriscan database during the time of minting. This anti-counterfeiting measure helps assure investors that they are buying genuine investment-grade gold bars.

1 oz Lady Fortuna Gold Bar

PAMP 100 gram Lady Fortuna Gold Bar

Costco Product Page: Item #1801206

PAMP 50 gram Gold Bar

Costco Product Page: Item #1782174

PAMP 1 oz Lady Fortuna Gold Bar

Costco Product Page: Item #1748080

PAMP 20 gram Lady Fortuna Gold Bar

Costco Product Page: Item #1782171

Multigram+25 Gold Bars

The PAMP Multigram+ line contains various quantities of 1 gram gold bars in a single assay card. The card is divisible and each 1 gram gold bar can be separated while staying sealed within a mini assay card.

So far, Costco has only offered to Multigram+25, which contains 25 grams of .9999 fine gold. Other sizes in the product line include the Multigram+12, which contains 12 individually sealed one gram gold bars. Additionally, the Platinum Multigram+25 is also available, which can provide some additional diversity to your holdings.

PAMP Multigram+25 1 gram Gold Bars

Costco Product Page: Item #1811661

PAMP Rosa Series

The most distinctive feature of the Rosa series is the intricate rose design engraved on the bar’s obverse side. The detail, sophistication and precision of PAMP Suisse’s refining and minting process is showcased with PAMP Rosa design.

The Rosa design features a single, detailed rose in full bloom at the center of the bar. The rose, with its layered petals unfolding, is depicted with fine lines that showcase the intricacies of its natural form.

Surrounding the rose is a plain, mirror-like finish that contrasts with the textured detail of the rose encased within a border that frames the design, giving it a finished, refined look.

The reverse of the bar is stamped with the PAMP hallmark circles logo, along with the weight and purity information and a unique serial number that matches the tamper evident assay card.

PAMP 100 Gram Rosa Gold Bar

Costco Product Page: Item #1782169

PAMP 50 gram Rosa Gold Bar

Costco Product Page:

PAMP Rosa 1 oz Gold Bar

Costco Product Page: Item #1782167

The Rosa design is one of the signature motifs from PAMP Suisse. The rose is a symbol of beauty, love, and often secrecy. The PAMP Rosa design taps into this rich symbolism and the universal appreciation for the flower’s beauty.

Each minted gold bar is made using a die-striking process that imprints the design onto the bar.

PAMP Lunar Legends Series

Like other PAMP Suisse products, the Lunar series bars are available in high purity .9999 fine gold. The designs are renowned for their intricate detailing and artistic quality. To celebrate the Year of the Dragon, PAMP Each bar features an image of the zodiac animal for that year, often depicted in a style that combines traditional and modern artistic elements.

The Azure Dragon is part of the Four Symbols and is considered important for creating balance and harmony in the environment. It is often paired with the White Tiger on the opposite side to balance yin and yang energies.

Each bar comes packaged in a tamper-evident assay card with an individual serial number and a certificate of authenticity.

PAMP Lunar Legends Azure Dragon 1 oz Gold Bar

Costco Product Page: Item #1778080

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Easy Ways to Sell Costco Gold Coins for Cash

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With regards to precious metals, Costco has revised the return policy for these products. One of the caveats in the fine print is that gold coins are not-returnable, unlike virtually every other item that they sell.

It’s been estimated by analysts at Wells-Fargo that the warehouse club could be selling as much as $100 to $200 million in gold per month, which is as much as 75,000 to 80,000 troy ounces per month.

Even though Costco’s extensive list of available gold products, a quick scroll through the r/CostcoPMs forum on Reddit that tracks precious metals offerings shows that majority recent offerings have been American Buffalo and American Eagle Gold Coins, Maple Leaf Gold Coins and gold bars in various sizes from 1 oz to 100 grams from PAMP Suisse and RAND Refinery.

There are a variety of options available if you’re sitting on a stack of Gold Buffalo bought from Costco and want to sell for cash and get the highest price possible, .

The Wall Street Journal recently reported that selling gold bars takes a bit more effort than the few clicks it takes sell stocks, bonds or crypto. Gold is a tangible asset, unlike stocks, bonds and crypto. It’s something physical that can be stored in your possession.

Once you have an understanding of the various places that you can sell gold, the process can be easy and simple.

Local Coin Shops

The Local Coin Stores in your area are a good starting point when looking to sell gold coins.

When you’re looking to sell gold coins, the first thing to do is contact the local coin stores in your area. Some local coin shops will post their buy and sell prices for bullion coins and bars on their websites. While others may be able to provide you with an appraisal or estimate over the phone.

When you contact the local shops, it’s a good idea to have an idea of what the current spot gold price is trading at. Many local coin shops will use the current market price when making a bid for your gold. However, some may use to closing price from the previous day. This is common if you are selling over the weekend or on holiday when the trading markets are closed.

It’s a good idea to contact at least 2 or 3 local shops. Expect to get a wide range of offers since each dealer will have their own buy/sell spread, with some being absurdly low, while some will be within typical market ranges.

The offers you get when you sell 1 oz Gold American Eagle Coins to a local coin shop should be slightly above the melt value. The exact rates will vary depending on local market conditions, the condition of the coins and the volume of coins in the secondary markets.

Many local coin shops also accept walk-ins without an appointment. You can often just walk in with your gold coins and lay them on the counter to receive an immediate offer. The clerk will inventory what you’ve brought and assay any pieces they may need additional confidence in.

The Sigma PMV machines have become standard equipment for any business that trades in precious metals, especially local coin shops. These devices use the electromagnetic resistance to verify gold coins without causing damage to the coin. These devices can also verify the purity and composition of coins that are encapsulated. Extensions wands allow testing of smaller pieces.

Depending on the value, some dealers may pay cash, but most will probably pay with a check.

Online Bullion Dealers

Most online bullion dealers are specialists in the trading of precious metals. While each dealer has a process that is unique to their business, some dealers make it easy for you to do a self-appraisal of sorts by publishing their buy back rates on their websites. This helps to get an estimate of what each piece in your collection is worth.

Others may require you to contact them and submit the details of which gold coins you would like to sell via email, chat or a form on their website. Each will have a unique buy back price as well as a process for handling the intake, which they will provide to you once you contact their sales team.

Typically, online dealers will make an offer for your precious metals based on the current market rates. You will be required to mail the metals to their intake center if you agree to sell them the metals at the quoted price. Some dealers will provide a mailing label to cover the cost of postage, while others may require you to send the metals at your cost.

Once the dealer receives your metals, they will inspect each piece and test on a Sigma or XRF to ensure that each piece is genuine and authentic. Once everything is confirmed, the sales team will issue payment, most typically via check or ACH.

eBay

eBay is notable for collectibles, however, they are also the largest online marketplace for buying and selling precious metals. Beyond numismatics and collectibles, many of the largest online bullion dealers including Bullion Exchanges, APMEX, and JM Bullion sell many of the same products through eBay. eBay offers large volume sellers higher discounts on listing fees, final valuation fees and includes other incentives to help keep the prices low.

There are even times when dealers will offer a product for a lower price on eBay than on their own website. It’s hard for individual collectors and investors to compete when selling bullion gold coins like Gold Buffalos and Maple Leafs.

While the selling fees make it prohibitive for individuals to sell, eBay does offer a precious metals buy back program that is managed by APMEX.

Facebook Groups, Reddit and other Online Forums

There are thousands of Facebook groups, Instagram and TikTok channels focused on the buying/selling/trading of gold coins and other precious metals. Many are operated by local coin shops, investors, coin clubs, collectors, numismatists, traders and other enthusiasts.

There are various groups on Reddit that have developed community ratings systems that help identify active members with a positive reputation.

While its possible to sell coins through these online communities, developing trust as a seller is something that takes a number of transactions with positive feedback.

Pawn Shops and Cash4Gold Stores

There are around 11,000 pawn shops in the US, with the highest concentrations of stores in lower-income areas. Pawn Shops and Cash4Gold stores are typically considered places of last resort for selling gold coins.

Selling gold coins to pawn shops may seem convenient and quick, but their primary aim to make a profit when they resell items. This means they need to purchase yours at a lower price to ensure they make a profit upon resale, regardless of changes to gold price. As a result, offers from pawn shops might be significantly below the market value of your coins.

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How do the prices of Costco Silver and Gold Coins Compare to Online Bullion Dealers?

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In a move that caters to the growing interest among consumers, Costco has broadened its selection of precious metals, introducing an array of new coins and bars to cater to the growing interest in tangible assets. The addition includes a variety of gold and silver coins and bars from renowned mints around the world, making it easier for members to diversify their investment portfolios.

The new lineup features investment-grade bullion coins such as the American Gold Eagle, Canadian Maple Leaf, along with various sizes of gold bars from PAMP Suisse and the RAND Refinery. These offerings are tailored to both seasoned investors and those new to precious metals, providing competitive pricing that aligns with Costco’s commitment to value.

Costco is able to leverage its membership model to offer competitive pricing on precious metals, while providing members with Cash Back rewards that can be accrued alongside credit card rewards. This combination is helping to undercut traditional coin dealers or precious metals retailers.

The coin offerings have included both gold and silver coins from the US Mint and the Royal Canadian Mint. This move by Costco follows a broader trend that reflects a mainstream acceptance and interest in precious metals as both an investment and long term store of value.

US Mint

The US Mint began minting bullion coins for investors in 1986 after the passage of the Liberty Coin Act. Along with the Gold Bullion Coin Act of 1985, these two laws require the U.S. Mint to produce and sell the American Gold Eagle and the American Silver Eagle in both bullion and proof finishes in sufficient quantities to meet demand from investors and collectors.

The coins are issued as a vehicle to provide consumers with a trusted tangible asset. At the time of the introduction, the economy was in recovery from a recession that was triggered by increases in oil prices by OPEC starting around 1979 and dragged on until 1982. In the first two years of minting, more than 16,835,340 Silver Eagle coins were sold.

US Mint Gold Coins

The most popular gold coins from the U.S. Mint are the American Gold Eagle and the American Gold Buffalo. These coins are significant to investors for their gold content, legal tender status, historical and aesthetic appeal. Both coins are backed by the U.S. government, ensuring their gold content and purity.

They are both highly recognized and traded worldwide, providing liquidity to investors looking for a tangible asset.

2024 1 oz American Buffalo Gold Coin

2024 1 oz American Buffalo Gold Coin

The American Gold Buffalo was first issued in 2006 as the U.S. Mint’s answer to pure gold bullion coins like the Canadian Gold Maple Leaf. It is the first 24-karat gold coin from the U.S. Mint.

It features the classic design of the Indian Head nickel or Buffalo nickel, with an image of a Native American on the obverse and an American buffalo on the reverse, both designed by James Earle Fraser.

The Gold Buffalo is 99.99% gold (24 karats), and has a face value of $50 and is also recognized as U.S. legal tender.

One of the most recent times that the Gold Buffalo was in stock, it was priced at $2099.99. At the time, the gold spot price was trading around $2049, indicating only a $50 markup or roughly 2.5% dealer premium. Normal dealer premiums typically range from around 4% to 10% above the spot gold price. While the Costco price beats out the national bullion dealers, the gold coins have typically sold out within an hour or two as experienced investors pounce on these deals.

Costco Product Page: Item #1799474

2024 1 oz American Gold Eagle Coin

2024 1 oz American Gold Eagle Coin

Introduced in 1986, the American Gold Eagle is available from bullion dealers in four sizes: 1 oz, 1/2 oz, 1/4 oz, and 1/10 oz. However, only the 1 oz Gold Eagle is available from Costco, making this offer limited to investors with a larger budget.

The US Mint provides investors with fractional gold coins that allow for investors having more modest budgets to invest in a long-term store of value and wealth. This variety allows investors to choose based on their budget and investment strategy.

Costco offered the 1 oz Gold Eagle in late February with a price of $2,089.99 with each member limited to just two coins. That day, the spot gold price closed at $2,036.00 per ounce, a dealer premium of $53.99 per ounce or slightly higher than 2.5%.

Typical dealer premiums on current year gold eagles range from as low as 3.5% to around 8%. When Costco Gold Eagles are available for purchase, they are typically sold out within an hour or two. The addition of the Membership Rewards for their Executive Members offers an additional 2% cash back that can later be used on future Costco purchases, including precious metals.

Costco Product Page: Item #1804545

US Mint American Eagle Silver Coins

2024 1 oz American Silver Eagle Tube of 20 Coins

The American Silver Eagle is a one-ounce silver bullion coin issued annually by the United States Mint since 1986. A standard mint tube of Silver Eagle coins usually contains 20 coins. Each coin is one troy ounce of .999 fine silver. The coins are packed tightly in a tube to prevent movement and reduce the risk of scratching or damage during shipping.

Tubes of Silver Eagle coins are made available for sale periodically. The availability of Silver Eagle coins from Costco is limited and the pricing is typically similar to other online bullion dealers. It’s important to compare prices of Tubes of Silver Eagle Coins before making a purchase.

Costco Product Page: Item #1789494

2023 1 oz American Silver Eagle Tube of 20 Coins

Costco Product Page: Item #1799373

Royal Canadian Mint

Founded in 1908, the Royal Canadian Mint has established a global reputation for its innovative coin designs, high-quality craftsmanship, and advanced security features

The RCM is a prestigious institution, producing high-quality, pure gold and silver coins, with the Canadian Gold and Silver Maple Leafs being their flagship products. These coins are widely recognized in international markets and are considered to be a highly liquid investment.

Canadian Maple Leaf Silver Coins

2024 1 oz Canadian Maple Leaf Silver Coin Tube of 25 Coins

Maple Leaf silver coins are our Northern neighbors’ equivalent to the Silver Eagle and are suitable as an investment or store of value. The key advantages that Maple Leaf silver coins have over the Silver Eagle are:

  • .9999 Purity – The Silver Maple Leaf boasts a .9999 fine silver purity. While some investors prefer the four-nines purity, the extra nine does not add any extra value in today’s market.
  • Design and Recognition – The 2024 issue carries the King Charles’ profile on the obverse, while the iconic sugar maple leaf design is featured on the reverse. This classic reverse design has been minted annually since 1988 and is recognized and respected worldwide, ensuring the coin’s liquidity and marketability.
  • Anti-Counterfeiting and Security Measures – The Royal Canadian Mint began incorporating advanced security measures into the design of the coins in 2014, providing visual ways for investors to distinguish between fake and genuine coins.

The Maple Leaf coins were in stock on Costco’s website for a few hours recently at the price of $609.99. That puts each coin in a tube of 25 at around 24.40, with the spot price of silver that day closing at $22.08 per ounce. Typical dealer premiums are slightly higher at around $2.50 per coin.

Costco Product Page: Item #1814000

Canadian Maple Leaf 1 oz Gold Coins

The Maple Leaf 1 oz Gold Coin is the flagship bullion investment coin from the Royal Canadian Mint. It has been a mainstay with global investors since 1979. Its .9999 fine gold content makes it one of the purest investment grade gold coins available, which can be important for some investors.

Costco’s first offering of Maple Leaf gold coins including the Queen Elizabeth Memorial obverse design from last year.

A few weeks ago, the current year issue featuring the official portrait of King Charles was made available at the price of $2,219. On the same day gold spot price closed at $2,161.71 per ounce, a premium of $57.29, which is slightly higher than the lowest available price from national bullion dealers. The average premium for the Costco sale had some investors buying, with availability lasting around 17 hours.

Although the 1 oz coin is the standard, the Maple Leaf series is available in various sizes (1 gram, 1/20 oz, 1/10 oz, 1/4 oz, 1/2 oz, and 1 oz) from a variety of trusted and reputable online bullion dealers, offering flexibility for different investment budgets and strategies.

2024 1 oz Canada Maple Leaf Gold Coin (King Charles Design)

Costco Product Page: Item #1814006

Costco’s expansion into the precious metals market by adding more coins and bars to its lineup demonstrates the company’s response to increased consumer demand for tangible investments as a store of value and wealth. This expansion not only broadens the investment options for Costco members but also signifies the growing trend of retail investment in precious metals.

Moreover, Costco’s foray into precious metals is complemented by its robust online platform and in-store services, ensuring secure and convenient purchases. With this expansion, Costco aims to solidify its position in the precious metals market, among industry veterans like APMEX, JM Bullion, Bullion Exchanges and SD Bullion, offering an accessible path for its members to invest in physical gold, silver, platinum, and palladium.

Precious metals coins are government backed with a guarantee for their purity and weight. They are purposely minted as a long term store of value and wealth that have historically been an effective hedge against inflation and currency devaluation.

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Costco Adds More Coins & Bars to Precious Metals Lineup

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The membership warehouse club Costco, best known for their $1.50 hotdog and soda combo, began offering precious metals last year through their website and available for sale inside some select locations.

The initial product lineup include a variety of 1 oz Gold Bars from PAMP Suisse and RAND Refinery. After initial success, they began offering American Silver Eagles in tubes of 20 coins, which certainly increased awareness and interest.

Costco’s expansion into the precious metals market by adding more coins and bars to its lineup demonstrates an increase in consumer demand for tangible investment assets. This expansion not only broadens the investment options for Costco members but also signifies the growing trend of retail investment in precious metals.

Costco is well-known for its competitive prices and customer-friendly policies and services, both of which contribute to its strong reputation and popularity among consumers. The way that the retailer is able to leverage its membership model to offer competitive pricing on precious metals, potentially undercutting traditional coin dealers or precious metals retailers. With some analysts suggesting this move by Costco reflects broader trends in the retail and investment sectors, indicating a mainstream acceptance and interest in precious metals investment.

2024 Canada 1 oz Gold Maple Leaf in Assay Card from the Royal Canadian Mint

2024 Canada 1 oz Gold Maple Leaf

The 1 oz Maple Leaf is the flagship investment-grade gold bullion coin from the Royal Canadian Mint, the official government mint of Canada.

The Gold Maple Leaf is minted with gold that is refined to a purity level of .9999 millesimal fineness (24 carats). Additionally, the Maple Leaf series includes advanced anti-counterfeiting enhancements into the coin’s design, such as radial lines and micro-engraved laser etchings.

When compared with other investment-grade coins, the premiums for Maple Leaf gold coins are extremely competitive.

Costco is known for keeping product markups low, which helps keep prices competitive and attractive to shoppers. While these coins are only available from Costco during certain times with limited quantities, dealer premiums for 1 oz Gold Maple Leaf coins range from as low as 2% to as high as 8%, depending on the seller.

2024 US 1 oz American Gold Eagle

2024 US 1 oz American Eagle Gold Coin from the US Mint

Following up on the success of the American Silver Eagles, Costco began periodically offering its gold counterpart. The 2024 1 oz American Gold Eagle is the flagship gold investment coin from the US Mint. Introduced in 1986, this coin has been a mainstay for investors for nearly 40 years.

The current obverse of the coin features a famous rendition of Lady Liberty that was originally featured on the St Gauden’s Gold coin.

The reverse of the Gold Eagle was redesigned in 2021 and features the head of a bald eagle in the center.

Around the head of the eagle, inscriptions are included for the United States of America and the notable latin phrase “E Pleribus Unum”, which translates to In God We Trust. Other inscriptions are included for the weight and $50 dollar face value.

While Costco is known for their low prices, they seem to time their offerings when the spot price of gold remains fairly stable. There have been reports on social media where Costco has increased the price of an item during the sales period. When Costco does have a gold or silver offer live on their website, the quantity available remains unknown to buyers. Though on average, the flash sales seem to average between 4 and 6 hours.

The 2024 1 oz Gold Eagle is a standard bullion issue investment coin and are readily available from most online bullion dealers and local coin shops. Premiums from local coin shops can vary greatly, while online premiums are as low as 3.5% to as high as 9% over the spot price of gold.

PAMP Suisse Gold Bars

PAMP Suisse Multigram-25 1 gram gold bars

The PAMP Suisse Lady Fortuna 1 oz gold bars was one of the initial precious metals offerings from Costco. The Lady Fortuna design is one of the most widely recognized gold bar in the world.

Lady Fortuna is the Roman goddess of luck, chance, and fortune, both good and bad. The age-old saying “Luck is blind” could probably be attributed to the story of Fortuna. She is shown blindfolded and holding a cornucopia spilling over with wealth and riches and a wheel of fortune.

PAMP Suisse has been using the design of their premier line of gold bars since the 1980s. Recently, Costco began offering other sizes of PAMP Suisse Gold Bars that include larger sizes, like the 50 gram gold bar, and even fractional 1 gram gold bars.

The PAMP Suisse 1 gram gold bars that are sold by Costco are part of the PAMP Multigram+25 set. The set includes 25 individual 1 gram gold that are each encased in their own mini assay card. The larger assay card is perforated to allow for easy divisibility should you need to gift, trade or sell a portion.

The obverse of each of the bars feature the same beautiful Lady Fortuna design as the larger bars. While the reverse each bar is emblazoned with the PAMP Suisse logo at the top. It also displays each bar’s weight, purity, and serial number.

Costco does not have a precious metals buyback program and their sale comes with special terms and conditions that explicitly state that all sales are final and not returnable.

Some local coin shops may carry some of the PAMP Suisse products, while the Multigram line of products from PAMP often has variable availability amongst online dealers. Premiums for fractional gold bars are generally higher due to the increase in manufacturing costs, with ranges from online dealers ranging from as low as 16% to as high as 30%.

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Is the Costco Gold Bar a Good Deal?

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While best known for its large selection of consumer goods and services ranging from groceries to electronics to clothing, travel booking, insurance, and optical, Costco has recently added several 1 oz gold bars to their lineup.

1 oz Gold Bars Rand Refinery

Periodically, warehouse club now periodically offers both Rand Refinery 1 oz Gold Bars and PAMP Suisse 1 oz Gold Bars available for sale on their website.

When the bars are available on the retailer’s website, members must be logged into their account in order to see the pricing. The pricing is based on the spot gold price, plus a traditional retail markup that conforms with their pricing model.

Observations comparing recent sales show against the prevailing gold spot price during the same time have shown that the premium appears to be in the range of 2.3%-3%.

“I’ve gotten a couple of calls that people have seen online that we’ve been selling one-ounce gold bars,” CFO Richard Galanti told investors during a recent quarterly earnings call.

“Yes, but when we load them on the (web)site, they’re typically gone within a few hours and we limit two per member.”

Both of the brands that Costco has made available so far are also readily available from many trusted and reputable online bullion dealers.

In general, gold bars come with lower premiums over the spot price of gold than coins. Meaning, investors can often get more gold for their money when buying bars compared to coins.

1 oz Gold Bar PAMP Suisse Lady Fortuna Veriscan

Buying gold bars from Costco may be a convenient option for some investors, but it is important to consider other factors before making a purchase.

Costco sells only a single gold denomination

Both PAMP Suisse and RAND Refinery offer fractional gold bars that are available at a variety of price points, making them more affordable to a larger group of investors looking for a trusted store of value.

The Lady Fortuna line has been PAMP’s signature line for decades and fractional gold bars are available sizes as small as one gram and in industry standard increments of 5 gram, 10 gram, and 20 gram. These fractional gold bars are more accessible and also make an excellent store of value.

Costco does not offer a buyback program for gold bullion. So when it comes time to sell, you will need to find a different gold buyer. Looking through the number of bullion dealers and coin stores in your area is a good way to check how easy it might be to sell locally.

Online bullion dealers update their prices in real-time according to changing market conditions, while Costco prices their gold bars at a fixed price. These bars are sold only on their website for a limited time.

Depending on the timing of your purchase, this could lead to paying a substantially higher premium to Costco for the same 1 oz gold bar than you might from an online bullion dealer.

Costco also has a strict no returns policy for bullion products, which deviates from their normal return policies.

Cheaper Alternatives to Costco Gold Bars

The PAMP Suisse Azure Dragon 1 oz Gold Bars that are offered by Costco are an excellent value for collectors, as these bars are a limited mintage and quickly sell out from online bullion dealers when they are available.

RAND Refinery is a large South African company that produces a variety of gold bars for investors, often at a much lower premium than other mints.

There are many private mints, like RAND, that have longstanding and trusted reputations of delivering pure .9999 fine gold to both industry and investors. These refiners have long standing affiliations with international gold markets like the LBMA, Shanghai Exchange and COMEX.

Some are based here in the United States, such as Sunshine Minting, located in Coere d’Alene, Idaho, which has been operating as a full service private mint since 1979. Sunshine Mint 1 oz Gold Bars incorporate the MintMark SI security feature on the reverse and etched with a unique serial number. This will match the assay card that comes encapsulated with newly minted bars.

Arizona based Scottsdale Minting produces coins on behalf of a variety of governments and issues both gold bars and rounds for investors and collectors under their own hallmark.

Scottsdale Mint 1 oz Gold bars often contain innovative designs that incorporate advanced security features and laser etched features.